Azerbaijan, Baku, Apr. 8 / Trend M.Aliyev /
The format of the Azerbaijani electoral commissions was formed in 2000 in accordance with OSCE recommendations. So far, they have proved, ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary Ali Ahmedov said at roundtable organized by the OSCE Baku Office.
"Until 2000, some tried to conduct elections on an equal basis, but some forces attempted to use this to violated the electoral process. It was the format chosen not by us or anyone else, but rather the format that the situation obliged," the official said.
At yesterday's news conference, OSCE Baku Office head Ali Bilge Cankorel said he is in favor of forming electoral commissions on a parity basis. Azerbaijani opposition parties also demand this format.
Under the current format, members of the ruling party hold the majority in the commission.
Ahmedov said the electoral commission is not an authority that decides the fate of the elections.
"Sometimes it seems that organizations outside Azerbaijan want to implement projects here by changing the format of commissions. We do not want Azerbaijan to become a testing ground for innovation," the official added.
Today, the OSCE Baku Office held a roundtable based on recommendations from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Organization. The main topic of the discussion attended by representatives of political parties, civil society and the international community was issues related to the execution of the law on freedom of assembly and questions on the election campaign, including illegal interference in the electoral process.